Star Trek: Timeless
by Jedi Adia
Summary: This is a Star Trek fic featuring the characters from all the first four Star Trek shows. I may also try to bring in the characters from Enterprise. Disclaimers: Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry. Please RR&E.
1. Time Rift

"Star Trek: Timeless"  
by Jedi Adia  
  
Chapter One: Time Rift  
  
Captain's Log, Stardate 5723.2  
  
The Enterprise has been patrolling the far regions of Federation territory for the past week. We have witnessed some stellar phenomena unlike anything I have ever seen and I look forward to contacting Starfleet about it.   
  
***  
  
"The latest report from stellar cartography, Captain," Spock said upon entering the bridge. He handed Kirk the report and Kirk sat down in the captain's chair to look it over.   
  
"Amazing," he said.   
  
"So you say," Dr. McCoy said, from his position behind Kirk's chair.   
  
"Not interested in stellar phenomena, Bones?"   
  
"I'm a doctor, not a stargazer," McCoy replied. "I need some action, some place where my work is worth something."  
  
"We're explorers, Bones," Kirk said. "Go back to sickbay. Ensign Porter may have another headache."  
  
For a moment, McCoy thought the captain was serious, that he was annoyed with him, but then he saw the sides of Kirk's mouth turn up in a grin. McCoy grunted. Even though it was only a joke, he decided to go to sickbay anyway. Maybe Porter really did have another headache.   
  
McCoy had no sooner left the bridge than Uhura picked something up on sensors. "It looks like a wormhole!" she said.   
  
Spock joined her at the communications console. After looking for a moment, he said, "I've never seen anything like it."  
  
"Put it on-screen," Kirk ordered.   
  
"Aye, sir," Uhura complied.   
  
"Sulu, bring us closer."  
  
"Aye, sir." The ship began to move closer to the anomaly.   
  
"That doesn't look like a wormhole to me," Kirk said. Suddenly, he felt a tug on the ship and they began to move toward the anomaly, which filled the entire screen as they moved closer. "Sulu - full reverse!"   
  
"The helm's not responding!" His eyes were wide and he and the rest of the bridge crew held their breath as they were pulled through to the other side.   
  
***  
  
Captain's Personal Log, Stardate 55689.3  
  
Anticipations keep rising as we draw closer to home. Even for me. I have a feeling that it'll be like midnight on New Year's Eve when we cross the border into Federation territory. We had expected it to be 75 years before we saw Earth again, but it's only been less than 10 - thanks to help from different civilizations that has advanced our propulsion systems. And once we get home, I hope I never get sent on a mission into the Badlands again.   
  
***  
  
"Captain, long range scans are picking up an anomaly," Harry Kim reported from his station.   
  
"All stop. Let's see it," Kathryn Janeway said, rising from her chair. As she looked at the anomaly, it resembled a wormhole. But gut instinct told her it wasn't. "Mr. Kim, is there any way around it?"   
  
"Captain?" Tom Paris said from the helm. "That could be our way home."   
  
"That's no wormhole, Tom," Janeway said. "Reverse thrusters. Back us off."  
  
Even though they had stopped, they were still moving, pulled by gravimetric forces. Tom hastened to comply with Janeway's order, but was met with resistance from the helm controls. "Captain, it's pulling us in."  
  
"Red alert. Shields up," Janeway ordered. She turned to Tuvok at tactical. "Reverse the shield polarity. We might be able to break free then."  
  
"No effect," the Vulcan said, looking at her. Janeway sat down in the captain's chair, at a loss. She could only watch, as the anomaly filled the viewport, and hope for the best.  
  
***  
  
Maybe that was a wormhole, Kirk thought. The viewport was filled with starsm just as it had been moments before they saw the anomaly. "Report."  
  
"Everything appears to be normal, Captain," Spock replied. "There's just one thing - it is virtually identical to the other side."  
  
"This is space, Spock. There're stars everywhere."  
  
"No. There are the same anomalies as there were on the other side. The same exact anomalies," Spock explained.   
  
"He's right," Uhura confirmed.   
  
"What are you saying?"   
  
"That we are in the same exact place as we were before...but in a different time," Spock said.   
  
"What in blazes is going on up here?" Scotty said, coming onto the bridge. Nurse Chapel and Dr. McCoy were right behind him.  
  
"Well, Mr. Scott," Kirk said, "it seems we may have traveled to another time period."  



	2. Past and Future

Chapter Two: Past and Future  
  
"Another time period?" Scotty said, incredulously. "When?"   
  
"We're not sure yet, Mr. Scott," Kirk said. He turned toward the science station, where Spock was doing some calculations.   
  
"According to this data, we have traveled to the future," Spock announced. "To the mid- 24th century, to be exact."  
  
"The mid-24th century," Kirk said, almost to himself, but his words were heard by all present on the bridge.   
  
"I wonder how different everything will be here." McCoy spoke for the first time.   
  
"Maybe not that different," Uhura said, "on the other hand, it could be very different indeed..."  
  
"Well, Bones," Kirk said, "it looks like you'll have your adventure after all."  
  
***  
  
"Report," Janeway said.   
  
"All systems are functioning normally, Captain," Harry said from his post at communications. "Are you sure that wasn't a wormhole?"   
  
"Yes, I'm quite sure," Janeway said, staring out the viewport. "Something's not right." She tapped her commbadge. "Janeway to Astrometrics. Get me a scan of the surrounding area."  
  
"Yes, Captain." Seven of Nine's voice sounded hollow as it came through the badge.   
  
"Uh, Captain? You might want to take a look at these readings," Harry said. Janeway went to his station, with Chakotay directly behind her. "These were picked up during Voyager's passage through the anomaly."  
  
"Chromaton particles," Janeway said. So she was right. The anomaly wasn't what it seemed to be at first thought. Janeway sighed. She hated it when she was right. "So where are we?"   
  
"Past...future...we can't be certain until we get those readings from Astrometrics," Harry answered.   
  
"Janeway to Astrometrics."  
  
"Captain, you should get down here immediately," Seven's voice came over the comm. "There's something you need to see."  
  
***  
  
"We're still in the Delta Quadrant. That doesn't surprise me. We've had these sort of disappointments before," Janeway said.   
  
"Yes," Seven acknowledged. "However," she touched a control and the image changed. "We are in the same place as it was almost a century ago."  
  
"A century..." Janeway trailed off as she looked at the readings. They were almost unreal. What would she tell the rest of the crew? After a long pause, she looked at Seven. "Meet me in the mess hall. We need to assemble the crew and let them know of the situation." She turned and left Astrometrics, all hopes of getting home banished from her mind, for it would never happen.   
  
***  
  
"Sulu, set a course...half-impulse," Kirk ordered.   
  
"Where to, sir?"   
  
"Anywhere. We need to see exactly what kind of situation we're in."  
  
"Captain, sensors are picking up a ship to port," Uhura said.  
  
"On-screen." Kirk looked at the ship that suddenly loomed before them. It was about the same size as the Enterprise, but looked to be more technologically advanced. "Hail them."  
  
"We're being hailed, Captain."  
  
"On screen." The ship was replaced by a dark-skinned man in some sort of uniform.   
  
"This is Commander Benjamin Sisko of the Defiant. To whom am I speaking?"   
  
"Captain James T. Kirk of the Enterprise...that looks to be a fine ship you have." His comment was met by no response. Kirk met the eyes of the man who called himself Sisko and saw something there. He interpreted it as a look of surprise.   
  
"You looked like you're in need of assistance, Captain. May we help?"   
  
"We'll find our way, Commander," Kirk said. "But right now, I think I need a moment with my crew."  
  
"Of course. Defiant out."  
  
Sisko's face was replaced by the image of the Defiant, as Kirk turned to his crew. "I think we may have quite a predicament on our hands," he said.   
  
***  
  
"James T. Kirk?" Major Kira said.   
  
"Yes. I don't think he realizes what a legend he is and how he is a relic now, in our time," Sisko said. "How do we handle this? The Prime Directive would seem to apply here. Suggestions?" He was met by puzzled stares. He understood where they were coming from. He was puzzled, too. Instead, he did the only thing that seemed possible. "Open a private channel to Starfleet Command and route the communication to my office. I think it's time to speak to a higher authority."  
  
"Yes, Commander," Jadzia Dax acknowledged. But as she did this, she felt there was still no solution. The Temporal Prime Directive would still be broken.   
  
  



	3. Stranded

Chapter Three: Stranded  
  
As Janeway paced her ready room, she never dreamed she'd be giving this speech again. The "we are lost" speech, as she'd come to call it over the past seven years. Only this time it would be different. There was no chance of getting home now. She jumped as the door chime entered her thoughts. "Come in."  
  
The door opened to reveal Chakotay. Of course, Janeway thought, of course he'd show up. He always did come to her like this during a crisis. She didn't mind, though. It was good that he was here.   
  
"I can't believe this is happening," Janeway said, turning to him. "Chakotay...what can I tell them? A couple of hours ago, I - we had a chance to get home. And now..."   
  
"I know," Chakotay said. He took her hand. "Is this too forward of me?"   
  
Janeway didn't seem to notice what he had done. "The morale of the crew..."   
  
"That's what Neelix is here for," Chakotay said. He let go of her hand. "The rest of the crew is waiting for us, Kathryn."  
  
As Janeway had instructed her to do, Seven gathered the crew in the mess hall. Not one of them looked away when she entered with Chakotay. They continued to look at her as she made her way to the far wall. Janeway couldn't make eye contact with any of them until she reached that wall, for fear they'd see it in her eyes before she could tell them. When she reached the wall, she turned. Only her senior officers and bridge crew recognized the haunted look; it was the same one they had seen seven years before - when she told them they were stranded in the Delta Quadrant. She cleared her throat and began to speak. "Seven years ago, the Caretaker stranded us in the Delta Quadrant. Or rather, it was our destruction of it that stranded us. Well now, we discovered what looked to be a wormhole that the bridge crew thought would get us home. But it wasn't a wormhole. It was a time rift. One that stranded us in the Delta Quadrant during the lifetime of James T. Kirk." She took a breath and allowed it all to sink in.   
  
"Isn't it possible to go back through the rift, Captain?" Tom Paris asked.   
  
"It collapsed and vanished almost as soon as we got through it," Janeway said. "I's like it was never there."   
  
Tom put his arm around B'Elanna, as she leaned on him. Earth would never be known to their child, if they had one. It would only know the Delta Quadrant, the land of heathens it was - is - in the 23rd century.   
  
"How will we get home, Captain?" Harry asked.   
  
"We'll get back to Earth someday, but home? I don't know," Janeway answered. "Earth isn't home in this century. Not to us. I suggest you all read up on Federation history, because we'll need it once we get back to Earth..." Janeway didn't want to add, `if we get there.'  
  
***  
  
"Thank you, Admiral," Sisko said. "Sisko out." He signed off and leaned back in his chair. The door buzzed. "Come in." The door opened, and Major Kira entered. "Major?"   
  
"The...Enterprise is hailing, sir. Captain Kirk wishes to speak with you," Kira said.  
  
"You could have notified me over the comm.," Sisko said, "unless there's something else."  
  
"I wanted to speak to you personally, Commander, " Kira said, "what did they say at Starfleet Command?"   
  
"We're to escort...the Enterprise to the nearest starbase," Sisko said. "After that, I don't know. This is a delicate situation, Major."  
  
"Yes, it is, Commander," Kira said. She turned to the door. "Kirk is waiting." The words seemed as foreign coming from her mouth, as they did to Sisko's ears.   
  
"Let's go," Sisko said. He and Kira left his office and went back to the bridge.   
  
"The Enterprise is standing by, sir," Dax said.   
  
"On-screen," Sisko said. "Enterprise, this is Commander Sisko. I have orders to escort you to Starbase 57. Travel at a speed of warp factor 4. Engage in two minutes."  
  
"I understand," Kirk said. "May I ask what for?"   
  
"I'm sorry," Sisko replied. "You may find out when you get there. Defiant out." He turned to the helm. "Set a course for Starbase 57 at a speed of warp factor 4. Engage."  
  
As the two ships got underway, Sisko turned to the bridge crew. "I don't think I need to tell everyone what a delicate situation this is. We're dealing with the temporal prime directive here, and we need to be careful what we say around Kirk and his crew. Now, I don't know what will happen once we get to Starbase 57, but whatever happens, we need to keep them as far away from our technology as possible."  
  
"Commander," Miles O'Brien said, "what about the other Enterprise?"   
  
"I don't know, Chief," Sisko said. "I don't know."  



	4. The Beginning

Chapter Four: The Beginning  
  
Ensign Hoshi Sato sat in her quarters with a book in her hand - The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells. It seemed appropriate, given recent events...or future ones, as the case may be. But her mind wasn't on the book she was reading, but rather the rift that had opened the Enterprise to a whole new world. That new world seemed just a dream in the 22nd century to which the Enterprise had returned. It had been a complicated return, though. Captain Archer was still debating what to do with the wealth of information the crew had accumulated. There had been numerous staff meetings, only one of which Hoshi had been able to attend, given her increased workload. There was one now, but Hoshi had used her need to get some information decoded to get out of going to the meeting. Travis Mayweather had promised to get her the details. He would be coming soon. Hoshi decided to try and get some more work done. She shoved the book under a pillow. She had work to do.   
  
***  
  
"I suppose we could always give our findings over to the United Earth Government...and trust that they'll do the right thing with them," Jon Archer said.   
  
"Captain...what is the right thing, exactly?" Malcolm Reed spoke up.   
  
"Well, Lieutenant...bury it until the 23rd century. We can't risk it falling into the wrong hands," Jon said. "According to President Burstyn, there's trouble brewing with the Klingons. Our discoveries of the future would be the icing on the cake, if they were ever obtained by the wrong people." He stood up. "Sub-Commander T'Pol, I need you to gather the scientific data and send it to Ensign Sato to be encoded. I'd like the data to be sent to Earth within the next couple of days. The sooner we get rid of it, the better. Dismissed."  
  
There was a sudden clamor, as the officers left, with only Jon and Lieutenant Charles Tucker remaining in the room.   
  
"Lieutenant?"   
  
"Captain. Permission to speak freely."   
  
Jon turned around to face the other man. "Any time, Trip. What's up?"   
  
"This isn't like you. Jon, you crave adventure...how was our excursion into the future any different?"   
  
"Trip, the only difference was what we found. This brings up the issue of temporal disturbance. By rights, the records of what we saw should be destroyed. If any of this were to get out..." Jon trailed off. Trip had a point. He really wasn't acting like himself, but he had a responsibility toward his ship and the known space.   
"Jon?" Charles said. "I understand. Maybe you should just hand over the data on the rift and an account of how we returned."  
  
"I was just thinking about that...maybe even our government shouldn't know," Jon said, "until the time comes."  
  
***  
  
Captain's Log, Stardate 55689.4  
  
Rising tensions between the Federation and the Cardassians have led to the stationing of the Enterprise near a Federation outpost near Cardassian space for additional support. We have been out here for a couple of months now, and the Enterprise's crew is getting restless - including her captain. I received word from Starfleet a couple of days ago that tomorrow morning - much to my relief - we are pulling out for reassignment.   
  
***  
  
There was a light atmosphere on the bridge, which Captain Picard noticed upon exiting the turbolift. All aboard the Enterprise-D now knew that they would soon be leaving the outpost. And no one was unhappy about it.   
  
As beta shift neared its end, Will Riker looked at Picard. "I just wish we could leave tonight, sir," he said. "The Enterprise was cut out for more than surveillance work."   
  
"Patience, Number One," Picard said. "But you are right -" he glanced at his first officer, "this is definitely not utilizing the Enterprise's full capabilities." A beeping console recaptured his attention.   
  
"Captain, I have an incoming transmission from Starfleet - Priority One," Data said.   
  
"Put it through to my ready room," Picard ordered. "You have the bridge, Data." He went to his ready room, with Commander Riker in tow.   
  
Picard activated the comm., and gave his authorization. A second later, Admiral Halleck appeared. "Admiral?"   
  
"Captain Picard," Halleck said. "I'm sorry to inform you that we are postponing reassignment of the Enterprise. You are to remain at the outpost until further notice."  
  
"May I ask why, Admiral?" Picard asked.   
  
"I can't tell you at this time, Captain," Halleck said, "because I'm not sure of the situation. I will let you know when I have more information. Starfleet out."  
  
Picard signed off and turned to Riker. "I guess the celebration's off." 


	5. Paradox of Time

Chapter Five: Paradox of Time  
  
Kathryn stepped off of the turbolift and onto the bridge, which was darkened for the nightshift. It was Delta shift, the second half of the night. "Report, Ensign," she said to Harry, who immediately snapped to attention. She decided that, even after six years in space, Harry still was a little green.  
  
"Nothing to report, Captain. It's been a quiet night," Harry said, as he stepped down from the captain's chair.  
  
"Very good, Harry," Kathryn said, looking out the viewport. She looked back at him, realizing that he still stood stiff. "At ease, Ensign. Go get some sleep."  
  
"Thanks, Captain."  
  
Kathryn sat down and pondered their plight. Here they were.in the Delta Quadrant of the past. And she thought it had been savage in the future. Kathryn put a hand to her head with that thought. The paradox of time.she had always told her crew not to think about it. So why was she thinking about it now? She shook her head. Spirits had been high, when they all thought about the prospect of getting home. But now that prospect of getting home had dimmed. It was nonexistent. They couldn't go home. It would violate the Temporal Prime Directive, for one. Two? There was nothing on Earth for them. Not anymore. "The idea of an M-class planet sounds awfully tempting right about now," Kathryn said to herself.  
  
"Captain?" Chakotay had just come to the bridge.  
  
"What? Oh, nothing," Kathryn said. "I just wish this were only a trick that Q played on us. For the sake of the crew, to say nothing of myself. Morale is the lowest it's ever been-"  
  
"I told you, that's Neelix's job, not yours," Chakotay said. "You let him worry about the crew, and I'll take care of any personnel problems that might arise. You just need to focus on keeping the ship in one piece."  
  
"Oh, thanks, Chakotay," Kathryn said, sardonically. "We're lost in the pre- warp Delta Quadrant. We can't make any allies, because there's probably the hysteria here that there was on Earth before First Contact. I wonder if we should just settle on some M-class planet somewhere and let history take its course."  
  
"You know we can't do that," Chakotay said. "All this crew has ever wanted is to get home-"  
  
"There is no home for us anymore!" The turbolift door opened and Tuvok entered.  
  
"You have the bridge, Tuvok," Chakotay said, as he led Kathryn into her ready room.  
  
"It's not like you to give up," Chakotay said. "We've got to find this rift. It's our way home. You're right - there is no home for us in this century. But we can find our way home. We will find our way home." He turned and left her. She sank onto her couch with a sigh. He was right. They couldn't give up. But they did have to draw the line and consider the worst. They weren't just messing with Hirogen or Kazon anymore. They were messing with time as well.  
  
***  
  
When the Defiant engaged in a standard parking orbit with the Enterprise in tow, Sisko turned to Kira and Dax. "I'm beaming over to the Enterprise, while you go down to the starbase.get things in order."  
  
"Where are they going?"  
  
"The senior staff is being beamed to a secure location," Sisko answered.  
  
"You know we can't keep the timeline from being contaminated," Dax said. "There's no way."  
  
"We're going to do what we can," Sisko said, as he went into the turbolift bound for the transporter room. In the turbolift, he gave the computer the deck and was on his way. Dax was right. There was no way to stop the timeline from being contaminated. But one could do some damage control.  
  
***  
  
Dax looked at Kira. "Are we ready?"  
  
"Are we ever ready for this sort of thing?"  
  
Dax shook her head. "I only wish there were an easier way of going about this."  
  
"You know that if that were any other ship, this wouldn't be such a big deal," Kira said, as they entered the turbolift. "Deck 3."  
  
"You remember when we went to the past. Before the third world war."  
  
"Now the shoe is on the other foot, so to speak. We're the ones that, if this isn't handled carefully, could be changed forever," Kira said. They exited the turbolift and stepped onto the transporter pad. "Energize." With a whine, the transporter deposited them in the main hub of Starbase 57. They went to the starbase commander's office to speak with him.  
  
"Have you received any orders from Starfleet Command?"  
  
"Yes, Major - we're beaming them to a secure location in the West End," Commander Chadwick answered. "Where's Commander Sisko?"  
  
"He's on the Enterprise. They should be ready to come down. Kira to Sisko."  
  
"Sisko here."  
  
"Is the senior staff ready to beam down?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Stand by for beam-out," Kira said.  
  
"Acknowledged."  
  
"Chadwick to transporter room. Energize." As soon as the command was given, the commander beamed to the West End, where Kirk and the others had already arrived.  
  
When Chadwick materialized, it took him a moment to register the scene before him. He and Sisko were among legends. It was every Starfleet officer's dream to be like Kirk.  
  
"Gentlemen," he said. He nodded, acknowledging the presence of Uhura and Chapel. "Ladies. I'm sure you are very, ah.confused right now."  
  
"Yes.Commander?" Kirk asked. Chadwick nodded. "Where are we, exactly? What's going on?"  
  
"I'm sure we really can't hide much from you now, as to where you are. You are at Starbase 57 in the mid-twenty-fourth century. We're still trying to figure the rest out," Chadwick explained. "And until we do, you will stay here in the West End of Starbase 57. As for your ship.that's another matter. There are some people that really shouldn't know about this incident."  
  
"The Klingons," Spock stated, matter-of-factly.  
  
Chadwick nodded. "We are no longer at war with them, but the Federation really doesn't want to provoke the Klingon Empire. They can't know you're here." There was also Picard's Enterprise, but there was no way that Chadwick would tell Kirk about that. "We have accommodations for you here. I hope you enjoy your stay at Starbase 57." He nodded to Sisko and they left.  
  
"I never thought about the ship," Sisko said. "What about Spacedock at Earth?"  
  
Chadwick nodded. "That's a good idea. But we'll have to take one of them with us, Starships have changed a lot in the last century." 


	6. Legends From The Past

Chapter Six: Legends From the Past  
  
"Hey. Chief," Sisko said, catching the attention of Miles O'Brien, as he went down the corridor. "I need you to come with me when we bring the Enterprise to Earth. But you can't say anything about serving on the Enterprise of this time."  
  
"Understood, sir. Will we be telling Captain Picard about Kirk's Enterprise being here?"  
  
"It really wouldn't hurt. I don't want to tell them, but the more I think about it, I can't think of a reason not to," Sisko admitted. "Meet me on the Enterprise in fifteen minutes. We still got to get their crew off of the ship."  
  
"Aye, sir."  
  
***  
  
Fifteen minutes later, Sisko, O'Brien, and Julian Bashir met Hikaru Sulu, Spock, and Dr. McCoy on the Enterprise. Sulu took his place at the helm and the rest of them gathered around the bridge.  
  
"What is our heading, sir?" Sulu asked.  
  
"We're going to Spacedock on Earth. Set a course, Mr. Sulu."  
  
Sulu acknowledged and they were soon on their way. Sisko turned to the captain's chair and sat down. Strange, he thought. He never thought that he would ever sit in this chair. He never thought he would have command of perhaps the greatest ship in Federation history, even if it was only for a short time.  
  
***  
  
"Any idea what this is about?" Deanna Troi asked as she and Will went into the briefing room.  
  
Will shook his head. "You're the empath. Do you sense anything?"  
  
"No. We're probably about to find out." They were the first in the briefing room after the captain.  
  
"Captain, what's going on?" Will asked.  
  
"Your guess is as good as mine, Number One. If Starfleet wants to keep us out here, they better have a good reason for doing so," Picard answered.  
  
"It's a bureaucracy. Bureaucracies never have good reasons for doing anything," Will said. Deanna nodded her head in agreement.  
  
"That was.very profound, Will." Picard sipped his customary Earl Grey tea. He never drank tea during briefings, not even his coveted Earl Grey, but he found that it relaxed him. He definitely needed relaxation right now.  
  
The rest of the senior staff entered just as he finished the cup. He took the cup to the recycler and the meeting began.  
  
"There isn't much to tell you, I'm afraid," Picard said. "Starfleet will give us information on a need-to-know basis, nothing more."  
  
"It must be pretty serious for the flagship of the United Federation of Planets to be kept in the dark," Geordi La Forge said.  
  
"Bridge to briefing room," a voice came over the comm.  
  
"Briefing room, this is Picard."  
  
"There's an incoming transmission for you, sir. Priority One."  
  
"In my ready room, Ensign. Number One, you're with me," Picard said. To the senior staff, he said, "These may be the answers we're looking for." He and Will went into Picard's ready room.  
  
"Admiral?"  
  
"Yes. Captain Picard, Commander Riker," Admiral Halleck said. "We've decided that it's time to let you know of what has happened. The Defiant, under the command of Benjamin Sisko, came across an old starship today. But this isn't just any old starship. This is the U.S.S. Enterprise, under the command of Captain James T. Kirk."  
  
"But I thought the Enterprise was destroyed over the Genesis planet a century ago. Was it abandoned?"  
  
"No, there was a full crew aboard. That's why we're keeping you where you are, until we can get the Enterprise to Spacedock on Earth."  
  
There was an uncomfortable silence until Will cleared his throat. "A time rift?"  
  
"It looks that way. Captain, you need to discuss this with your staff. Let them know of what's going on. The Defiant should be at Earth now and back at Starbase 57 by 0100. You will be allowed to leave the outpost at that time, no earlier. And stay away from Starbase 57."  
  
Picard nodded. "Thank you, Admiral." Halleck signaled the end of the transmission and Picard turned to Will. "The senior staff needs to be apprised of the situation." He stated the obvious, unsure of what else to say. It was a rare occasion when Jean-Luc Picard was at a loss for words.  
  
"Actually, Captain, I don't know why this is such a shock to us. Time rifts aren't all that uncommon," Riker said, as they went back into the briefing room.  
  
"I think it's a shock, because we've come face-to-face with our own history, Number One. No wonder they're keeping us at bay."  
  
The senior staff looked up as they walked in.  
  
"The situation is rather serious, I'm afraid," Picard began. "I'm not sure exactly how to say it, so I'm just going to say it right out. A time rift has brought the original Enterprise into our time. Her crew is at Starbase 57. The ship itself is being taken to Spacedock on Earth. We can't leave until Commander Sisko returns to Starbase 57. He must have some of the crew with him."  
  
"How much longer, Captain?" Geordi asked.  
  
"Sisko is returning to Starbase 57 at 0100. After that, we're free to go, as long as we steer clear of Starbase 57." At the downcast faces of the senior crew, he said, "It's only a few more hours. Dismissed."  
  
As everyone left, Picard pulled Deanna and Will aside. "Deanna, what are your feelings on this?"  
  
"There's something out there, Captain. But I don't know what it is."  
  
"I've been wondering if Q is behind all of this."  
  
"He's not," Deanna said quickly. "It's something else."  
  
"I'll talk with Data. I want you to work with him to see how this happened," Picard said.  
  
"Understood," Will said.  
  
"Dismissed."  
  
Picard sighed and walked to the window. No matter what Deanna said, he still believed Q was behind this. Who else would it be?  
  
***  
  
Elsewhere, Sisko was thinking the same thing. "Q.it's got to be," he whispered to himself.  
  
"Commander?" Spock inquired.  
  
"Nothing." Sisko frowned. It still seemed strange having Spock on the bridge. This Spock was his subordinate, yet Spock's future self out-ranked Sisko. He couldn't wait until 0100. Then he could return to Deep Space Nine, where things could actually be considered normal. Sisko laughed to himself. Normal? What was it? It was something that ceased to exist when Jennifer died. And now, several years later, he sat in a cramped shuttle with three legends among his own crew. Dax was at the helm. Spock was behind him. That was unnerving, to say the least. The universe and time itself were turned upside down, and Sisko had a feeling that this was only the tip of the iceberg. 


	7. Enigma

Chapter Seven: Enigma  
  
Kathryn had never really noticed how empty and quiet space was. Until now. There wasn't a starship to be found. Not even a space shuttle, like the ones that were found on Earth in the twentieth century. If these were any other circumstances, she would have found this intriguing. But they were trapped. The gravity of their situation was reflected in the faces of her crew. It wore on her as well, as she walked down to Astrometrics for what seemed to be the fifth time today.  
  
"Seven, report."  
  
"No spatial anomalies of any kind, Captain." It was the same thing every time. Kathryn sighed. "But I will call up to the bridge when I find something, Captain," Seven said. She looked unperturbed by this.  
  
"This doesn't bother you, does it, Seven?"  
  
"No, Captain. The Delta Quadrant is really the only home I have ever known. Voyager is the only family I have ever known. Earth is a strange place to me. It's not home. I am home."  
  
Kathryn nodded. Seven had a point. The crew was the only family she had. She had said once that Voyager was her collective. But still.the rest of them had families too. They all wanted to go home.  
  
***  
  
Hoshi sat in the mess hall, listening to T'Pol.  
  
"The captain has given orders to have the data destroyed," T'Pol was saying. "He doesn't want any contamination of the timeline."  
  
"How can we destroy the data when we need it to figure out what happened to us?" Hoshi asked. The thought of destroying valuable findings dismayed her.  
  
"Those are his orders," T'Pol said, rising from her chair. Without another word, she left. She passed Mayweather and Reed on her way out. "Gentlemen."  
  
They nodded and came to Hoshi.  
  
"Do you know what's going on?" Hoshi asked.  
  
"If you had been at the meeting, you would know, Ensign," Reed answered. "Trip said later that the Captain changed his mind. Only the data on the rift will be sent to Earth."  
  
"I just have a feeling that there's more to this than meets the eye. I feel like we're being manipulated," Hoshi said.  
  
"Explain," Reed said.  
  
"We're faced with a seemingly unsolvable enigma," Hoshi said. "But we can solve it. There has to be a way out. Why can't I find it?"  
  
"Hoshi, you and the captain are terrible. Neither one of you has gotten any sleep. If you slept for awhile, it might all become clear," Mayweather said.  
  
Hoshi sighed. "Maybe you're right." She gulped down the rest of her drink and walked out.  
  
As she went to her quarters, she heard a voice.  
  
"You'll never find the answers you seek." The voice was distorted beyond recognition.  
  
"Who are you?" There was no answer. Not that Hoshi expected to get one anyway. She continued to her quarters. The voice did not come again.  
  
***  
  
"I have sent the data to Earth, Captain. As you requested. I have also told Ensign Sato to destroy the rest of it," T'Pol said.  
  
"Understood. I'm confident that's the right thing to do, T'Pol. Time's not the thing to be messing around.with."  
  
"Captain?"  
  
"Nothing, T'Pol. I just thought of something. It seems so obvious. Why didn't I think of that before?" 


	8. Prisoner of Time

Chapter Eight: Prisoner of Time  
  
A few hours later, a startled Captain Picard woke to the sound of an incoming transmission alert. "This is Picard."  
  
"Captain," Admiral Halleck began, "Sisko and his crew have safely returned to Starbase 57."  
  
"Thank you, Admiral."  
  
"You remember what I said, Captain. This is a delicate situation. We're treading on unknown territory."  
  
Picard paused, unsure of what to say. They had encountered temporal disturbances before, and he began by saying as much to the admiral.  
  
"Yes, but those other temporal disturbances that have been encountered were eventually explained," Admiral Halleck said.  
  
"As will this be," Picard said. "Admiral.perhaps my crew could launch an investigation."  
  
"Captain Picard-"  
  
"With all due respect, Admiral.I refuse to be cast aside when times become uncertain. I'm sure my crew would agree," Picard said.  
  
After a moment of silence, the admiral agreed, but gave Picard a few words of caution: "Stay away from Starbase 57." The transmission ended abruptly.  
  
"Picard to Riker."  
  
"Riker here, sir.can we have that celebration yet?"  
  
"I believe that is in order, Number One," Picard said. He could hear his first officer as he let out the breath that he'd most definitely been holding since they'd first heard.  
  
"Excellent."  
  
"I agree, Number One. But before we celebrate, perhaps we should get underway. Set a course for.any place but Starbase 57," Picard said.  
  
"With pleasure sir."  
  
"Picard out."  
  
***  
  
Captain's Log, Stardate.something. Temporal matters have always given me a headache, and this is no exception. But in light of things, I have taken Chakotay's advice and our core mission is the same as it was.will be.in our time. We've set a course for Earth, in the hopes that we will still find our way to our real home. But in case we don't, we'll have to go to Plan B, which was outlined today at the umpteenth staff meeting we've had since we landed in this predicament.  
  
***  
  
"So what is Plan B, Captain?" B'Elanna was asking.  
  
"When we reach Earth, we'll need to settle down and stay out of history's way. But I make it clear to you now that we are not giving up. I made a promise six years ago to get this crew home. And I know now that I may not be able to fulfill that promise, but I will most definitely try to do that," Kathryn explained. "That's really all.any comments?" She looked around the room and when there were none, she dismissed the meeting. As she watched them leave one by one, Chakotay turned and gave her an approving nod, to which she returned a smile. Chakotay was confident that she had made the right decision and that was enough for her. But still.a part of her did wonder if she was doing the right thing.  
  
***  
  
"What's going on, Admiral?" Kirk demanded.  
  
"I'm proud to see you've lived up to your reputation, Captain," Admiral Halleck said with a raised eyebrow. He sat with Kirk and his senior staff in a briefing room at Starbase 57 and tried to explain the situation to them as best he could. "I don't quite understand it myself. We've encountered time rifts before, but none like this one. We can find no trace of it."  
  
"If you let us go, we could go search for it.Spock could do some scans of the area where we landed in your time period," Kirk said.  
  
"I can't do that for several reasons. One, the Temporal Prime Directive. You can know as little as possible about this time if you ever get back to your own. Two, from what we know, this time rift is very erratic, leaving very little.residue, if you will. Any scans that might exist of the time rift are in your ship's computer at Spacedock near Earth. And three, even if there were something to scan for, you aren't familiar with our technology," Halleck explained.  
  
"We could take someone with us," Kirk said. "Admiral-"  
  
"We're doing everything we can, Captain. I'm sorry," Halleck said. "You'll just have to be patient. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some things to attend to. There's someone outside waiting to take you to your quarters." He left and a couple of ensigns entered.  
  
"Please follow us," one of them said. They took Kirk and his senior officers to some rooms a couple of floors up from the briefing room.  
  
"This is your replicator for your meals.your comm panel's here, in case you need anything, and the holodecks are the next floor down from here. You can ask the computer for directions." After they were done, the ensigns left the crew.  
  
"Well.they aren't really treating us like prisoners," McCoy said. "This is a lot better than what the admirals would get in our day."  
  
"That makes me feel a little better," Kirk said. "I feel like a relic."  
  
"We will get home, Captain," Spock said.  
  
"Is that logical, Spock?" McCoy asked.  
  
"That's optimistic, Doctor. A logical attitude for our situation," Spock said, in a way evading the doctor's question. But he was right, Kirk decided. They needed to be optimistic. They would get home. 


	9. Just a Theory

Chapter Nine: Just a Theory  
  
"Silik!"  
  
"You think the Suliban are responsible," T'Pol said. "You'd think we would have noticed. The Suliban have the habit of making their presence known."  
  
"Maybe it was different this time. A new strategy, or something," Archer said. "They were getting predictable."  
  
T'Pol raised an eyebrow. "What would have possessed them to return us to our own time?"  
  
Archer looked at her, unsure of what to say. Finally, "it's a theory."  
  
"An accusation," T'Pol countered. She made her way closer to him. "You can't accuse people of doing something without substantial evidence to back up your claim, Captain. Isn't that the policy on Earth?"  
  
Archer nodded. "This isn't an accusation, Sub-Commander," he said, choosing his words carefully. "Just a theory." He turned to leave the bridge. "Just a theory." Those three words played over in his head. But could he believe them? It seemed like he couldn't really believe anything anymore. //That's because Silik is playing with your mind. His entire race is using your ship and crew as a pawn// Archer shook his head, as he left the bridge. He just wanted to get to the bottom of this. More than his ship and crew could have been affected. And if that was the case, Silik had gone too far. 


	10. Temporal Matters

Chapter Ten: Temporal Matters  
  
With their unexpected mission over (for now; Sisko couldn't help thinking that there would be more expected of his crew in relation to the Kirk incident, as he'd come to call it), the Defiant crew returned to Deep Space Nine, and crammed into his office.  
  
"So now what?" Kira asked.  
  
"I guess we try to act as if everything is normal," Sisko said. "I know that may be hard to do, but where the time line is concerned.especially with someone coming into the future. We've had experience with time traveling, but we went into the past."  
  
"Why's that so different?" Dax asked.  
  
"It's not, but I almost think it's easier," Sisko said. "You see, when someone from the future travels to the past, it's only those people that are trying to keep future knowledge from the people of the past. But if someone from the past travels to the future, then anyone that they come in contact with could tell them something."  
  
"So it's a matter of control," Bashir inferred.  
  
"Exactly," Sisko said with a nod. "It's a lot easier to control a small group of people than it is to control a large one." It seemed ridiculous to explain this. After all, time travel was common knowledge to Starfleet officers. But this time, it seemed different. They were dealing with time travelers who would have a significant impact on the timeline. Kirk and his crew were major figures in Federation history. If they learned of things they weren't supposed to know, and then returned to their own time, the 24th century might never exist as it is known to now. He got his mind back to the meeting. They couldn't worry about the possibility that the timeline might be irreversibly damaged. They had to do something about it. "In the meantime, we need to investigate this," he continued. "Thoughts? Ideas?"  
  
"We could get into the Enterprise computer," Dax suggested. "I know it's almost a century older than our technology, but I'm sure we could find a way."  
  
"Good idea, Dax," Sisko said, "but, judging from what Kirk said earlier, they never got any scans of the anomaly. Still, I would check their computers. Kirk may have been giving us a line or something, just to get out. And if there isn't anything, we know where we found them. We could do some scans of the area. Take the Defiant. Kira will lead you. I need to stay here."  
  
"Understood," Kira and Dax said, in unison. Miles and Bashir also acknowledged, and they left on yet another mission.  
  
***  
  
Seven of Nine stepped off of the turbolift onto the bridge with a PADD in her hand and made her way to the captain's ready room. But before she could signal her presence to the captain, Harry spoke up from behind his console.  
  
"She's not in there."  
  
"Computer, locate Captain Janeway," Seven said, turning.  
  
"Captain Janeway is in her quarters."  
  
Inwardly, Seven rolled her eyes. But Harry caught the sentiment. "I know.she doesn't interact with the crew much anymore. Once again, she's hiding when things are going wrong." Seven just looked at him. "Is that another report?" he asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Has anything changed?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then don't give it to her."  
  
"I have to give it to her," Seven said. "She asked for it." And she went back into the turbolift. "Deck ten."  
  
As the turbolift whirred into motion, Seven stared at the report in her hands, deep in thought. The captain still blamed herself for landing them in the Delta Quadrant in the first place. This wasn't the first time she had withdrawn from the crew. And unless they figured out a way home, it wouldn't be the last. 


	11. Nothing's Changed

Chapter Eleven: Nothing's Changed  
  
Kathryn looked up at the sound of the door chime. "Come in."  
  
Seven entered, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. "Captain?"  
  
"Oh.Seven. What is it?"  
  
"A report from Stellar Cartography."  
  
"And?"  
  
"Nothing's changed." She heard a sigh from the other woman. "Ensign Kim had told me not to give this to you. Was he correct in his assumption?"  
  
Kathryn turned quickly and Seven thought for a moment that she had said something wrong. But that wasn't the case.  
  
"Seven - sit down," Kathryn gestured toward the couch, and Seven took a seat. "Can I get you something?" she asked, going toward the replicator.  
  
"No thanks, Captain," Seven said. "Captain.why have you withdrawn from the crew?"  
  
At first, Kathryn ignored the question. "Coffee. Black." A cup materialized, and when she had it in hand, she sat down, as Seven repeated her question.  
  
Kathryn pondered the question. And then, "Do you remember the void that we passed through shortly after you came aboard?"  
  
Seven nodded. "You withdrew from the crew then, if memory serves."  
  
"Yes. Because I blamed myself for our predicament. As I do now," Kathryn explained.  
  
"But surely, Commander Chakotay-"  
  
Kathryn held up a hand. "Yes he has," she said, "but I can no more easily turn off my feelings than bring total peace to the galaxy." She paused, looking at Seven in the darkness. "I wish I could be more like you. You seem to be able to turn off your emotions at will."  
  
"`Seem' being the operative word, Captain. I have expressed anger. You and the crew have witnessed that many times," Seven said.  
  
"And right now?"  
  
"I don't want to go back to Earth, you know that," Seven said. "Voyager is my home, the crew is my.family. So if getting back to Earth makes the crew happy, then I want to get back.to Earth."  
  
"Where would you go if we got back?"  
  
"When we get back, Captain.I don't know." Seven looked at the PADD in her hands. "I should get back to my post, Captain."  
  
Kathryn nodded. "You may go," she said.  
  
"Thank you, Captain." And Seven left. It wasn't until she was back in the turbolift when she realized she still had the PADD in her hands.  
  
***  
  
Captain Picard strode down the corridor, pleased to be away from the outpost where they had been stationed. The Enterprise-D was headed for Starbase 36, in hopes of finding out what was going on and how the crew could help.  
  
"Bridge to Captain Picard."  
  
"Picard here."  
  
"We have arrived at Starbase 24."  
  
"On my way." And Picard turned towards the turbolift to go to the bridge.  
  
***  
  
"We're being hailed," Worf said.  
  
"On-screen," Picard said. Their view of the planet where the starbase was located was replaced by the face of a woman.  
  
"Admiral Nechayev," Picard said, the surprise evident in his voice.  
  
"Captain Picard.what brings the Enterprise-D here?"  
  
"We were hoping to help solve the time rift problem, if that's indeed what brought Captain Kirk and his crew here," Picard said, noting the emphasis of the letter attached to his ship's name.  
  
"Who told you about this?"  
  
"Admiral Halleck," Picard said. "Admiral, we realize the temporal implications if we come in contact with Kirk and his crew, but.how can we help?"  
  
Nechayev sighed audibly. "I guess it does no harm, since Kirk and his crew are quarantined at Starbase 57."  
  
"Who's in charge of the.investigation?"  
  
"I am, and Admiral Halleck. Listen, Captain.I would like to beam up. We have some things to discuss," Nechayev said.  
  
"Of course. We'll beam you up as soon as we can."  
  
"Thank you. Nechayev out."  
  
Picard turned. "Picard to Transporter Room Three. Get a lock on Admiral Nechayev. Number One."  
  
Riker took the hint and followed Picard onto the turbolift that would take them to transporter room three.  
  
***  
  
"Energize."  
  
Picard and Riker watched as the transporter hummed and Admiral Nechayev materialized on the pad.  
  
"Admiral."  
  
"Captain Picard. Commander Riker."  
  
"You wished to speak with us," Picard said.  
  
Nechayev nodded and went with them to the captain's ready room, where Picard sat behind his desk, and Riker and the admiral pulled up chairs.  
  
"We received a communiqué from Deep Space Nine this morning. It seems that Commander Sisko is sending a team to Spacedock to find information in the Enterprise's computer. If they don't find anything, they're going to the area where they picked up the Enterprise crew," Nechayev explained. "You said you wanted to help."  
  
Picard leaned forward, slightly. "What can we do?"  
  
"The Defiant will be here in a short while to pick up some technicians who are familiar with past technology," Nechayev said. "You can send a team, if you would like."  
  
"Thank you, Admiral," Picard said. "Who is leading the mission?"  
  
"Major Kira Nerys, from Deep Space Nine," Nechayev answered. "Captain.I cannot impress the utter importance of this mission. Our way of life is at stake. We need to find out how they got here, and what else happened in the process."  
  
"I understand, Admiral."  
  
"Good." Nechayev stood up. "Good luck, Captain."  
  
"Thank you, Admiral. Shall I escort you back?"  
  
"I can find my way."  
  
As soon as she left, Picard turned to Riker. "Well.not exactly what I had in mind, but I suppose it'll do. How does shore leave sound to you?"  
  
"Shore leave, Captain?" Riker asked. The question sounded odd; after all, they were in the middle of a crisis.  
  
"I can only send a small group. Five people at most. I'll probably send Data, Geordi, and some others from Engineering," Picard explained. "That leaves the rest of us."  
  
"Shore leave sounds good, then, Captain."  
  
"Very good. Picard to Data."  
  
"Data here, sir."  
  
"Please report to my ready room."  
  
"On my way, sir."  
  
Picard gave the same command to Geordi and a few minutes later, they were both there.  
  
"I'm sending you both on a mission," Picard explained. "The Defiant is arriving from Deep Space Nine soon to pick up a group of technicians. They're going to Spacedock to see what they can get from the Enterprise computers, and then they're going to the location where they found Kirk and his crew to do some additional scans of the area. Geordi, I want you to select a couple of people from Engineering to go on the mission."  
  
"Yes, Captain."  
  
"The Defiant should be here within the hour. Dismissed."  
  
Geordi and Data left, and Picard sat back in his chair. He looked at Will, whose expression he imagined probably mirrored his own. Then they both stood up and Picard followed his first officer out, the door sliding shut behind them. 


	12. Whispers in the Dark

Chapter Twelve: Whispers in the Dark  
  
The transporter room vanished to Geordi's eyes as he and Data beamed over to the Defiant with their selected team from Engineering. Geordi was eager to get to the bottom of this. It perplexed him. Just as he could tell it had perplexed everyone when they gathered in a briefing room to discuss it.  
  
"This isn't your average temporal rift," Kira said.  
  
"How so?" Lieutenant Felton, from the Enterprise engineering team, asked.  
  
"Because, usually when a rift opens in the timeline, everything changes," Kira said. "And nothing's changed from yesterday, believe me. If things had changed, you would know it."  
  
"Would we?"  
  
Kira nodded. "Now," she continued, brushing aside all questions, "as all of you know, we're going to Spacedock to scan the Enterprise computers. We really need to get to the bottom of this. Or we could lose history as we know it."

--------------  
  
Hoshi bolted up in bed. The voice had come again. "Show yourself. Please, I need to know who you are." There was no response. She didn't really expect that there would be one. With a sigh, Hoshi got up and dressed. There was no point in trying to sleep. Not with this mysterious presence keeping her awake.  
  
"You're crazy," she told herself, as she left her quarters and went down the corridor. "It's nothing...nothing..." She was so preoccupied that she never saw T'Pol. That is, until she bumped into her.  
  
"Oh! Sub-commander, I- I'm sorry, I didn't see you."  
  
"That much is clear," T'Pol said. "Where are you going? It's late."  
  
"I don't know...I couldn't sleep."  
  
"Dr. Phlox could take care of that. Maybe you should go to sickbay."  
  
Hoshi didn't know how to tell T'Pol that she was hearing voices. The Vulcan woman would never believe her.  
  
"No, I – I'll just go to the mess hall, and get something..."  
  
"Ensign, what's the problem?"  
  
"It's nothing," Hoshi said. "Really," she added, when T'Pol raised her eyebrows.  
  
"Come. I'll join you."  
  
"All right."  
  
They went to the mess hall, which was darkened and deserted. T'Pol ordered the lights turned on and got tea for herself and Hoshi.  
  
"Tell me."  
  
"Tell you what?"  
  
"Ensign, you're not alright and you won't go see Dr. Phlox,"  
  
"I told you, it's—"Hoshi broke off as the lights suddenly dimmed.  
  
"What's happening?" T'Pol asked, looking around.  
  
Hoshi stood, as she heard the voice again. As fast as it had come, it was gone again and the lights were back. T'Pol was watching her intently. "You didn't hear that, did you?" Hoshi asked.  
  
"The voice?" Hoshi nodded.  
  
"I've been hearing it for some time now," Hoshi said.  
  
"I have as well," T'Pol said, rising from her chair. "We must speak to the captain immediately." She went over to the comm. unit on the wall. "T'Pol to Captain Archer."  
  
"Archer here. T'Pol, what's going on? It's the middle of the night!"  
  
"Captain, this is important," T'Pol said. "It's about what you said earlier. You may be right."


End file.
